The present invention relates to an underseat assembly for seating units, where the assembly is designed to facilitate assembly and to use lower cost parts, including polymeric components, as compared to many other underseat assemblies.
Pedestal-type chairs require a structural interface for engaging a top of a chair column in order to provide a secure connection. Historically, the interface and underseat structural components are made of metal (and not plastic) so that the interface and other structural components do not creep and/or wear and/or become sloppy over time. Further, usually the number of components are minimized in an effortxe2x80x2 to minimize assembly time, labor, inventory, and fixturing costs.
It is desirable to manufacture an underseat assembly that uses plastic and metal components so that advantage can be taken of particular features and characteristics of each different material. For example, plastic components can more easily be molded to a near-final shape. However, plastic components are not as strong as metal components in many aspects. Further, it is potentially problematic to manufacture some components of plastic and others of metal, because all of the components must interconnected, which can lead to excessive assembly time, labor, inventory and fixturing costs, particularly where fasteners, welding, or other means must be used to secure each of the different parts together. Also, multi-piece components that use different materials often don""t look good, but instead they look like a poorly-designed mismatched array of pieces. Restated, they often don""t match the overall dxc3xa9cor of a chair design. Covers and shields can be used to cover up underseat assemblies, but covers and shields add to cost, and can result in a bulky appearance since they themselves take up added space around the underseat. Further, the covers and shields can break or become misplaced or become discolored over time. Further, covers and shields require space that is not always available.
Chairs that incorporate a vertically-adjustable column usually have to be inverted upside down at least once during their assembly. This takes time, and also can lead to scuffing and/or other damage to the chair. It is desirable to construct a chair having a column where the assembly process does not require that the chair be inverted during assembly.
An apparatus is desired solving the aforementioned problems and having the aforementioned advantages.
In one aspect of the present invention, an underseat assembly for a seating unit is provided. The underseat assembly includes a bottom support, a yoke, and at least one side support section. The bottom support includes a tapered socket adapted to receive and to securely engage a top section of a support column in a vertical direction, and further includes a body with a plurality of attachment bosses and reinforcement ribs around the tapered socket. The yoke has a center section shaped to mateably receive and stably engage a top of the body, and further includes opposing outwardly-extending first arms that define first attachment locations. At least one side support section is provided having an inwardly-facing mounting section with first features defining pockets and apertures for interfitting engagement with the bottom support without interference from the bosses and ribs of the bottom support and without interference from the center section. The side support section defines second attachment locations spaced from the first attachment locations. A top retainer clamps the mounting section and the center section against the body to retain the bottom support, the yoke and the side support section together in a sandwich-like arrangement.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, an underseat assembly for a seating unit includes a metal bottom support having a tapered socket adapted to engage a top section of a support column and including attachment bosses, a plastic yoke having a center section engaging the bottom support, and opposing plastic side support sections each having inwardly-facing mounting sections that mateably receive and cover the tapered socket of the bottom support and that mateably receive and engage the center section of the yoke. A top retainer is secured to the bottom support and clamps the mounting sections and the center section against the bottom support in a sandwich-like arrangement.
In another aspect of the present invention, a chair includes a base having a column, a seat, and a back pivoted to the seat. An underseat assembly is provided for operably supporting the seat and the back on the base. The underseat assembly includes a bottom support with a metal tapered socket shaped to stably engage a top of the column, and includes a yoke rigidly attached to the bottom support with polymeric arms for supporting the seat, and further includes second arms spaced from the polymeric arms. The bottom support, the yoke, and the second arms are clampingly secured together in a sandwich arrangement. A link is operably attached to the second arms and the back for supporting the back. The seat, the back, and the link form a four-bar linkage with the underseat assembly.
In another aspect of the present invention, a chair includes a base having a column, a seat, and a back pivoted to the seat. An underseat assembly is provided for supporting the seat and the back on the base. The underseat assembly includes a bottom support with a tapered socket shaped to vertically downwardly engage a top of the column, and includes a yoke constructed to vertically downwardly engage the bottom support and be attached thereto. A link is operably attached to the side support sections and the back for supporting the back. The seat, the back, and the underseat assembly are constructed for assembly from a top down direction without requiring that the chair be inverted during assembly.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, a method of constructing a seating unit comprises steps of providing a bottom support including a tapered socket adapted to receive and to securely engage a top section of a support column in a vertical direction, the bottom support including a body with a plurality of attachment bosses and reinforcement ribs around the tapered socket. The method further includes placing a yoke on the bottom support, the yoke having a center section shaped to mateably receive and stably engage a top of the body. The yoke has opposing outwardly-extending first arms that define first attachment locations. The method further includes placing opposing side support sections on the center section of the yoke, the opposing side support sections each having inwardly-facing mounting sections with interfitting first features for engaging each other and each having second features defining pockets and apertures for engaging the bottom support without interference from the bosses and ribs of the bottom support and without interference from the center section. The arms define second attachment locations spaced from the first attachment locations. The method also includes placing a top retainer on the mounting sections and securing the top retainer to the bottom support to clampingly engage and retain the mounting sections against the center section and against the bottom support in a sandwich-like arrangement.
These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present invention will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.